2020 Charles Schwab Challenge Odds & Picks; Rory McIlroy the +850 Favorite

• The PGA Tour returns June 11-14th at the Charles Schwab Challenge which features a star studded field at Colonial Country Club
• Rory McIlroy is the +850 favorite as of Wednesday afternoon
• We’ve narrowed down the golfers with the best chance of emerging victorious and provided the best value bets below

For the first time since the Players Championship was canceled after just one round back in March, the PGA Tour will have an official event with the world’s best converging at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas this weekend.

It will be a culture shock compared to regular tour events in that there won’t be fans on the grounds to watch, which will most definitely give the tournament a much different feel than usual.

In a field loaded with talent, picking a winner is trickier than usual, especially with the unknowns of how players have been preparing amid different levels of COVID-19 restrictions across the United States.

2020 Charles Schwab Challenge Odds

Odds taken June 10th

The top five players in the world are competing, with Rory McIlroy leading the way as the heavy +850 favorite to win for the first time in 2020 despite being a +700 favorite when lines opened up last week.

This is a tournament that in recent years has struggled to attract many of the world’s best, so a lot of big names aren’t used to competing on this track and could struggle with the nuances of the tight course.

McIlroy Was Firing on All Cylinders Prior to Tour Stoppage

Prior to COVID-19, nobody in golf was playing at such a consistently high level as Rory McIlroy was, racking up seven straight top-five finishes, including his victory at the WGC-HSBC Champions in October.

Strangely, it almost felt like he underachieved because he put himself in contention each and every week but failed to convert in four events this year.

Last 7 TOUR starts for @McIlroyRory:
• 1st
• T3
• 1st
• T3
• T5
• 5th
• T5

The reigning Player of the Year hasn't skipped a beat in the new season. pic.twitter.com/IjviPHlzaN

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 28, 2020

It would constitute a pretty big surprise if Rory wasn’t at least in the mix on the weekend, though he’s playing this tournament for the first time so he might not be as sharp as he would be on a track he’s familiar with.

✅ 1. @McIlroyRory
✅ 2. @JonRahm
✅ 3. @BKoepka
✅ 4. @JustinThomas34
✅ 5. @DJohnsonPGA

The top five in the world and 17 of top 20 in the #FedExCup are set to tee it up when the PGA TOUR returns to action in two weeks @CSChallengeFW. https://t.co/oPMlQcWkc0

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 29, 2020

With a stacked field, and low odds at +850, you can probably find better value on a number of other players competing. A top-five bet (+225) seems like a better value for the Ulsterman.

Last Five Charles Schwab Challenge Winners

2020 Charles Schwab Challenge Best Value Picks

1. Webb Simpson (+2200): Has had success at this venue in the past, finishing T-3rd in 2016 and fifth in 2017. Won two starts ago at the Waste Management Phoenix Open during a span of four straight top-7 finishes (also had a runner-up, third place, and T-7th showing).
2. Justin Rose (+5000): The champion at Colonial two years ago benefited from the three month break after uncharacteristically struggling in his four prior tourneys. Far too talented a player to be down for too long, and this is when you can get mega value on him at a track he won at in 2018.
3. Phil Mickelson (+15000): Longshot odds with incredible potential upside. Lefty has won this tournament twice (2000, 2008), and had started to see a marked improvement in his game before the break following the worst slump of his career, with a pair of third place results at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the European Tour’s Saudi International.